Clown
Loach(Botia macracantha)

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Clown loaches or Botia
macracantha
belong to the
family
Cobitidae. They are
native to the rivers and
streams of Borneo, Sumatra, and Indonesia. Their vertically striped
bodies make them a favorite among freshwater aquarium owners. The
striping consists of three wide, black vertical bands on an orange
body. This configuration has also earned them the nickname of tiger
loaches. Their mouths have three downward pointed pairs of maxillary
barbels.

A barbel is a
slender, whisker-like tactile organ. Maxillary refers
to the barbel’s location near the mouth. These tentacle-like
organs
house taste buds and are used to search for food in murky water.
Barbels are a bottom dwelling species of scavenger fish like catfish
and carp. Barbles and downward pointed mouth are what distinguish
bottom dweller from other fish. The clown loach is one such bottom
dweller.

Bottom
dwellers in general make a good addition to any community
fish tank. The scavenging of food from the aquarium substrate helps
prevent harmful chemical build up in the water. Most bottom dwellers
are peaceful fish that tend to keep to themselves. They don’t
concern
themselves with what is going in the water above them.

The clown
loaches
you see for sale in fish stores are very young.
They look so cute it is tempting to buy one and take them home. Make no
mistake. Clown loaches are among the
largest freshwater varieties
available commercially. They can grow up to 16 inches
long as adults.
Take this into consideration before deciding to purchase one.

An
interesting
behavioral note: Clown loaches have a peculiar
tendency to spend a lot of time lying on their sides. Don’t
be
alarmed.
They are not sick or injured. This is just their normal behavior.

The
clown loaches’
native water habitat is neutral water (pH of
7.0) with a water temperature between 75-86 degrees Fahrenheit. Clown
loaches are intolerant of poor water conditions. They are prone to
develop ich if left in unsatisfactory living conditions for extended
periods of time.

Like all scavenger fish, clown loaches are omnivores. They can
generally scavenge enough food that has been missed by the fish above
them to survive just fine. But food that sinks, such as sinking wafers
will insure they have more than enough nourishment to survive.

Clown loaches are egg layers. They are not known to breed in
captivity. Attempts to do so have been mostly unsuccessful. There are a
few instances where clown loaches have been reported to spawn
in
captivity. But this is a rare occurrence.

The clown loaches are aware enough of their surroundings to realize
they have been removed from their natural habitat. As a result they
have higher stress levels than many other fish. A good way to help
reduce their stress levels is by providing them with plenty of hiding
spaces on the bottom of your tank such as rocks and plants. Once they
adapt to their new surroundings they will be just fine.

Clown loaches are a long lived species given proper living
conditions. It is not uncommon for them to live from 40 to 50 years of
age. It takes them years just to reach sexual maturity.